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Miya continues run as Cranes date Ethiopia
Farouk Miya scored for Cranes yet again yesterday. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
Cecafa. The Cranes blew away Malawi Flames 2-0 in the quarters yesterday for coach Micho to make his first Cecafa semis with the team.
Cranes skipper at the on-going Dstv Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, Farouk Miya, made it 13 calendar year goals and 15 overall in national colours as Uganda sidestepped Malawi 2-0 yesterday to set up a semifinal date against hosts Ethiopia.
Caesar Okhuti also grabbed his second goal of the tournament to seal victory in Addis Ababa and hand Micho Sredojevic his first semifinal as Cranes coach.
Micho did reach the 2011 finals with Rwanda, eventually losing to Uganda. But his first attempt to the gong in the Cranes dugout in 2013 was halted by Tanzania in the quarterfinals.
Micho will now lead Uganda against Ethiopia, a team he knows too well having twice coached in the Horn Of African country, in Thursday’s semifinals. This after Ethiopia beat Tanzania 4-3 in penalties in the second quarterfinal. Earlier, Malawi suffered early jitters in Addis Ababa as the Cranes got out of the blocks like an early bullet.
A sumptuous passing move saw Isaac Muleme roll the ball between two Malawi players to find Keziron Kizito. Kizito released Joseph Ochaya down the left. Ochaya controlled in one touch, glanced upwards, and drilled in a quality-laden cross.
Unmarked, Miya leapt and directed his header to the bottom corner of goalkeeper Simplex Nthala’s net for a sixth minute lead and his third of the tournament.
In a whim, Miya, who made his Cranes debut against Seychelles in July 2014, had showed us another part of his game – heading.
“It was our determination to qualify for the semis that kept us going,” said the U23 skipper, who is enjoying a stellar year in every sense of the word. Uganda should have doubled their advantage on 15 minutes. Muleme caught a Malawi Flames player in possession just after the centre line before laying on for Miya.
Miya had Burundi’s last defender on the back foot, with Muleme - free on the left - crying out for a release.
Rather than slip it to the left back, Miya changed direction, running into trouble. As Miya lay on the ground holding his head, more in guilt than in pain, Muleme took in the frustration.
The Malawians could have punished Miya’s profligacy shortly after but Ismail Watenga came out of goal to force John Banda off balance when a sweet cross arrived from the right.
Okhuti put to bed any Malawian hopes of recovery on 48 minutes when his supposed low cross beat Nthala to the near post to keep Uganda on the road for the 14th Cecafa title.
Yesterday’s results
Uganda 2-0 Malawi
Tanzania 1 (3) -1 (4) Ethiopia (3-4)
Today (quarters, LIVE ON SS5)
South Sudan vs. Sudan, 12:30pm
Rwanda vs. Kenya, 3:25pm
First semifinal, Thursday
Ethiopia vs. Uganda, LIVE ON SS5 -12noon
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